Ventilating, fire-extinguishing, and steaming apparatus for gasolene or other tanks.



T. A. CROIVIPTON, ha. VENTILATTNG, FIRE EXTTNGUISHTNG, AND STEAMINGAPPARATUS FOR GA-SOLENE 0R OTHER TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.31|1916.

Patented Apr. 29,1919.

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067257. ma @Lt @n tnv.iTnn sTaTns raTnnT ernten THOMAS A. CR'TJIPTN,3R., OF LFBQD, ENGLAND.

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rabaste.

Specification of letters llatent.

Talenten api. en, anita..

Application tiled January 31.1916. Serial Nc. 75.259.

i lle it. known that'rl.A "'lHoMAs ALBERT CRoMrroN. Jr.. a Britishsubject. and residing at- 29 Clarendon Gardens. lllford. in the countyot' Essex. England. have invented a new and lmproved 'l'ventilatingFire-Emili guishing. and Steaming Apparatus t'or Gasoene or otherrl`anks.ot which the following vis a specification. Y

Mv invention relates to an improved ap? paratus for safely ventilatinggasolene or other tanks containing inammable liquids and giving odinflammable gases. also for 'lireextinguishing and steaming of suchtanks. 'lhis apparat-us is designed to allow the sa'fe escape otinammable or other dangerous gases from storageY tanks. but only whensuch escape 1s necessary owing to the increased pressure arising from'whatever cause. such as expansion or lling up of` ing in which thefigure is-avertical part sectional drawing of apparatus and showing insection all working parts.

.l is the automatic arrangement for ventilating and allowing tor thesateescapeot gases.

B is the connection fitted on tank top and i allows the tank to be incommunication with atmosphere through tliedevice or with the steam lineas may be required.

(l is the cone arrangement orgcirculator and is litted within tankimmediately under and connected to B.

D is the inner pipe reaching to near bottom ot tank and fitted wit-h asteam spreader E at base of pipe.

For the ventilating and reliet ot pressure or vacuum in tank. the toporring valve Q comes into operation. the drawing shows apart cross sectionwith pressure and vacuum wah/e3. removable cage seating, adjustingscrews. lock nuts, springs and gauze Wire screen in position. 'lhe valvechamber l? has a projection or seating (nl and forms when valve cageLll? is 1n position an air tight joint. 'l` he bottom end of valvechamber can be` screw-threaded internally or en ternalljvY or flanged asfound suitable for connecting on pipe -leading down to connection B. Thetop of valve chamber ll is` screwed externally to take cover H. yllhiscover is screwed internally and has a projection or tlange l which bindson flange ot gauze. wire screen J thereby thrusting this against theupper end ot the valve cage so that this in turn is thrust down againstthe inner flange Gl with whichV it makes an airtight joint. 'll` he wirescreen is made ot suitable bram or copper gauze pressed out and littedwith .brass flange as indicated. ".lhe cover is cast with groovesbetween screwthreaded port-ion and outer rim for the escape and intakeof gases or air. The cover is also intended to prevent any grit, dirt orwater gaining access to valve chamber and for the escape et explosiveand dangerous gases.. lhe removable valve cage LKF has a center ringwith miter seating for the reception of pressure and vacuum valves and aflat seating which when cage is in position forms the tight joint at G.The top ring lL of cage is screwed internally for the reception ot'grating ring ll/l. This ring has a central boss N for carrying adjustingscrew (l. Il`he bridge piece l) under center ring in removable cage isJfor carrying adjust-ing screw @l and lower spring S. 'l he pressurevalve Q is double miter grating valve. the inner miter -forming theseat` for spindle valve lt. lValves Q and R are as near equal in area aspossible and areheld in position by springs S and S1 and adjusted byscrews and-@these screws being-'locked by tlv nuts 'll and 'l`1. 'l`hebottom spring S1 takes the weight. ot both valves. so allowing either.valve to practically tloat on their seats and' to act with theslightest variation ci? pressure.. '.lhe top ventilating device A may betit-ted direct on valve chamber 'B or be connected to same by lengthI ofpiping as may be required. For gas itreeing et tanks especialljv withregard to oil tank vessels a. steam jet arrangement maybe interposedbetween the device A and the valve chamber B point;- ng in anupward'direction and when in action would tend to exhaust all explosivetitl) ieu ile

or other dangerous gases from tank. Valve chamber B together with conearrangement C are fitted direct to wall of tank, the former outside andthe latter inside tank with inner piping and steam spreader D and 1Eattached. A branch pip?J L enters valve chamber B. Its end is turnedupward, the top forming valve seat U. Double miter valve V rests on thisseat. rlop seating W for valve V is screwed externally and :fitted inrecess of top flange of chamber B. Cone attachment C is constructed withan internal tube X and has several openings Y through large part ofouter casing. IThis attachment is connected inside tank immediatelyunder valve chamber B. rlihe pipe D is secured by flanges or screwed tobottom part of C, extending nearly to bottom of tank and is tted atlower end with a cone shaped spreader E. Y

Under normal conditions gasolene or other liquid storage tanks fittedwith above apparatus would be hermetically sealed and would thus preventany loss from evaporation. ln the event of any accumulating pressurewithin tank the gas or air would pass through openings Y, enter internaltube X and ascending upward and passing over top of valve V would entervalve chamber A, when the pressure acting on the under side of spindlevalve R would lift same together with grating valve Q, so allowingescaping gas to emerge into atmosphere, passing through gauze wirescreen J and groovesof cover H. Illhe direct opposite of above takesplace when a partial vacuum occurs in tank due to contraction ofcontents or when pumping out, but in this case grating valve Q remainson its seat, the atmospheric pressure acting through this valve onspindle valve R opening same in a downward direction and so admittingair into tank. By this means atmospheric pressure is always maintainedwithin tank.

F or fire-extinguishing and steaming of tanks, steam would be admittedto the main conduit or by the branch pipe Z. rlhis enters with a rushand in large volume so that it lifts the double miter valve V to topseating W where it is held as there is no re-.

sisting pressure on the opposite side, the valve thus shutting oli' allcommunication to outer atmosphere and allows steam to enter tank for thepurpose of extinguishing fire,

or steaming out through openings Y or spreader E as may be necessary andwhich the height of liquid in tank should determine, an injector e'ectbeing produced in the perforated conical part C.

l am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide a feed pipe,having a ing into a tank with a branch pipe opening Ainto the valvechamber, two float controlled valves having a weighted balancing devicebeing provided, for controlling'the ends of the valve chamber connectedto the two portions of the feed pipe. ln this known device, both valveswere normally open and no valve was provided for controlling the end ofthe branch pipe opening into the valve chamber, and I do not claim thesame broadly; butll claim :v`

1. ln apparatus for Ventilating and steaming containers for volatileliquids, the combination with a container, of a main conduit having oneend portion opening into the same, an intermediate or second portionconstituting a valve chamber, and the other'end or third portion openinginto the valve chamber by way of an upper` valve seat therein, avbranchconduit having one end terminating at a lower valve seat in the f valvechamber, and a double-faced lift valve adapted to be seated alternatelyon said seats and normally seated on said lower seat and vin thisposition closing the said end of the branch conduit, whereby thecontainer is normally in open communication with the said third portionof the main conduit, but is shut o therefrom when the said valve islifted against the said upper seat by fluid under pressure entering thevalve chamber through the branch conduit.

- In apparatus `for Ventilating and steaming containers for volatileliquids, the combination with a container, of a main conduit having oneend portion opening into the. same, an intermediate or second portionconstituting a valve chamber, and the other end or third portion openinginto the valve chamber by way of an upper valve seat therein, a branchconduit having one end termmatlng at a lower valve seat m the p valvechamber, and a double-faced lift valve THOS. A. CRMPTON, JUNIOR.

Witnesses: Y

VV. M. DAvIns, J. A. STEvnNsoN.

